The Department of Justice announced Thursday that it would be launching an investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department over possible infringement of the Second Amendment.
The investigation will review whether the sheriff's department is denying Californians' gun rights with "expensive fees and lengthy wait times" on permits.
The DOJ cited a lawsuit in federal court where two private plaintiffs challenged the 18-month delay that the LASD imposed when processing their concealed handgun license application. The department added that they believe there may be more residents in Los Angeles County experiencing similar delays.
According to the sheriff's department, a staffing crisis is responsible for the delays.
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In a statement, the sheriff's department wrote:
"The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department respects the Second Amendment, which guarantees an individual’s right to keep and bear arms and will continue to uphold the constitutional rights of all citizens while also ensuring public safety. We are committed to processing all Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) applications in compliance with state and local laws to promote responsible gun ownership. The Department is facing a significant staffing crisis, with only 14 personnel in our CCW Unit, yet we have successfully approved 15,000 CCW applications. Currently, we are diligently working through approximately 4,000 active cases, striving to meet this unfunded mandate."
The federal authorities also challenged California legislature, saying the state enacted new laws to "further restrict the ability of ordinary, law-abiding Californians to keep and bear arms."
“This Department of Justice will not stand idly by while States and localities infringe on the Second Amendment rights of ordinary, law-abiding Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and under my watch, the Department will actively enforce the Second Amendment just like it actively enforces other fundamental constitutional rights.”
Bondi added that the investigation is the first of many that the department will look into that are allegedly denying people their Second Amendment.
